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AJC: Voters in Atlanta suburbs “warm to mass transit”

I’ve been following a number of related transportation issues: the congestion of suburbs (especially Atlanta), the toll on our economy if energy prices and spending continue to rise, and the general feelings about transit.

A shift in attitude toward transit among metro Atlanta voters, including in counties that traditionally oppose MARTA, such as Gwinnett and Cobb, could be pivotal in whether next year’s transportation sales tax referendum passes, according to a new poll.

Underlying issues including concerns about crime and whether the government can be trusted to oversee the work exist, according to a poll of 625 registered voters that Mason-Dixon Polling & Research Inc. conducted for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Channel 2 Action News. But they don’t seem to be as big a problem as they may have been in the past.

And much of the opposition heard during recent community forums — especially from tea party activists — does not reflect voters as a whole, who at this point support the referendum’s passage by a razor-thin margin.

And this (emphasis added):

Overwhelmingly, 91 percent of voters said it was important to address the region’s transportation problems to improve its quality of life and economic future. Additionally, 67 percent said the region’s traffic congestion is deteriorating their quality of life. And 82 percent said it was important to do more to encourage everyone to commute to work by bus or train.

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ABOUT SAVANNAH UNPLUGGEDIn my columns in the Savannah Morning News, I write about the local economy and culture. But those columns don't exist in a vacuum: I follow a wide variety of national news and experience Savannah much more deeply than I can possibly capture in three columns a week. So here on Savannah Unplugged, you'll find everything from nationwide economic trends to nightclub photos. I also contribute to the political blog Peach Pundit and the music blog hissing lawns.